Mired in an 0-for-22 playoff slump spanning multiple seasons, Dodgers star Mookie Betts leaned on the wisdom of an old friend to find his footing. When Betts was “really down,” a call from David Ortiz provided solace and shifted his outlook.

Betts, who is 4 for 9 with two homers in his past two games, came into Game 3 hitless in his previous 22 playoff at-bats.

Nothing comes easy for a slumping hitter. Not even if the hitter's name is Mookie Betts. In the first two games of the series, Betts went 0-for-6, stretching hi